10 Indian Originals on Netflix You Need to Watch Out For

As Netflix goes big on India, here’s a list of shows/films we are excited about.

Representative image. (Image: REUTERS/Mike Blake)

Aiming to monetise the vast untapped market that is India, Netflix has decided to go big on the content from the region to attract more subscribers.

The streaming giant recently announced an exciting line-up of several new projects, especially green-lit keeping in mind the taste and sensibilities of the Indian audiences.

Here, we give you a low-down on the most promising of the lot.

Bard of Blood
Produced by Shah Rukh Khan’s Red Chillies Entertainment, this multilingual espionage thriller based on Bilal Siddiqi’s book, stars Emraan Hashmi in the lead role.

A series set against the backdrop of the Indian subcontinent, it’s the story of Kabir Anand, an expelled spy, who is recalled from his present life of a professor in Panchgani to save his nation and long-lost love.

Baahubali: Before the Beginning
A spin-off series based on SS Rajamouli’s epic film Baahubali: The Beginning, it stars Mrunal Thakur as Sivagami and Rahul Bose as Skandadasa. Atul Kulkarni, Vaquar Shaikh, Jameel Khan, Siddharth Arora and Anup Soni also star in the series in important roles.

Hotel Mumbai
Directed by Anthony Maras, the film is based on true stories revolving around the devastating 2008 Mumbai attacks. It stars Dev Patel, Armie Hammer, Nazanin Boniadi, Anupam Kher and Jason Isaacs in important roles.

Rajma Chawal
A humorous family drama set in New Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, it is slated to release globally on November 30, 2018. Directed by Leena Yadav, the film stars Rishi Kapoor, Aparshakti Khurana and Amyra Dastur in pivotal roles.

Cobalt Blue
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, it revolves around two siblings—a brother and sister—who fall in love with the same man and how their traditional Marathi family is shattered by the events that follow. Written and directed by Sachin Kundalkar, it focuses on the pain and the beauty of forbidden love.

Chopsticks
It’s the story of an under-confident, talented girl who has been sidestepped all her life. She seeks out a local con to help recover her stolen car from a crazy Mumbai gangster, and in the process, finds her self-confidence. The film stars Mithila Palkar, Abhay Deol and Vijay Raaz in the lead roles.

Leila
Produced by Deepa Mehta, it’s a dystopian fiction series adapted from the novel of the same name by Urmi Juvekar.
The story of a mother’s search for her daughter, from whom she was separated 16 years ago, it stars Huma Qureshi and Siddharth Suryanarayan in the lead roles.

Bulbul
Produced by Anushka Sharma’s Clean Slate Films, it is a period film set in a world of old beliefs and superstitions.
It’s the story of Satya, Bulbul—his brother’s child bride—and their haunted ancestral village, which is plagued by mysterious deaths and the stories of a woman in the shadows.

15th August
Produced by Madhuri Dixit, this Marathi film is set in a Mumbai chawl and follows the course of a single day as the residents prepare for the flag-hoisting ceremony. It showcases the struggles of middle-class India and how love sets us free.

Music Teacher
Directed by Sarthak Dasgupta, it is the story of an emotionally troubled music teacher, played by Manav Kaul, who gets a chance to come to terms with his bitterness with an estranged student, who is now a celebrated Bollywood singer.